Disk drives frequently include a spindle motor, one or more disk media (henceforth “disks”), and one or more clamping elements. In currently shipping hard drives, the disks are clamped against a support flange on the spindle motor. Sometimes, this clamping force is sufficient to cause the flange to deform the flat disk shape. This effect may be combated by increasing the thickness of the motor hub flanges such that they are thick enough to minimize these affects to manageable levels. However, increasingly smaller disk drive design requirements result in a pressure to reduce the Z-height of all components, including the motor hub flanges such that increasing the thickness of the motor hub flanges is becoming less feasible.
Implementations of the present application may include a motor hub flange providing a reinforcing portion.